This project has been on my list of DIYs I want to try for a long time! Every time I see a photo of a bunch of dripped wax halloween wine bottles, it’s such a vibe. This year, I thought it was high time I tried it, so I could also help YOU create them too!
For just a couple dollars, and less than an hour of your time, you can have a set of gorgeous dripped wax wine bottles to decorate with for Halloween.
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Supplies for Halloween Wine Bottles:
- Cleaned and emptied wine bottles (shoot, that means you’ll need to polish off the last of that wine, huh? Sorry to twist your arm! 😉) If you are unsure how to get the labels off your wine bottles, don’t worry, I’ll go over that!
- Taper Candles – Any color you’d like, and in the amount of Halloween wine bottles you want to make (maybe get a couple extra for good measure! Hey, we all make mistakes.)
You can grab these from the Dollar Tree for 2 per pack, or in bulk on Amazon.
- Lighter – Though any lighter will work, I recommend using the kind with an extended, bendable tip, like this one. You’ll be working with it for a while, so the typical lighter will burn your fingers after a bit!
- Scissors – Any type will do!
- Paper Towels – To protect your work surface from wax!
Cleaning Your Wine Bottles (Skip this section if you’re all set!)
First, let me go over how to clean your wine bottles. If you already know how to do this, or you prefer to keep your labels on, skip to the next section.
- Squirt some dish soap into a large bucket.
- Add hot water to create a warm sudsy bath.
- Add water to your wine bottles (to weigh them down).
- Submerge them in the bucket.
- Let sit for 30 mins.
- Using a straight edge razor, carefully work it under the label to peel it off the bottle. (Note: depending on the glue used, this part will be easy, or super super annoying and tough. For those tough ones, don’t worry, I’ve got a trick!)
- Once your label is removed (or atleast most of it), give it a good scrub with a sponge and then rinse off all the soapy water.
- Let it dry.
Still have glue residue? If after your bottle dries, you still have glue residue on your bottle, make a paste with baking soda and water and slather it over the residue. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes and then scrub it again with a sponge.
Dripped Wax Halloween Wine Bottles DIY Instructions:
OK, ready to get into melting your wax?! This is the fun part now that you’ve got your cleaned wine bottles ready to go.
To watch these steps in action, check out my video tutorial here.
Step 1: Prep your work surface, laying out your paper towel.
Step 2: Take a taper candle. Open your scissors and using the edge, begin to shave the end down. You need to do this so the end will fit into the opening of the wine bottle.
Step 3: Once you’ve shaved enough off, fit the end of the taper candle into the top of your wine bottle. This part may be a bit of trial and error. Repeat step 2 if needed until the bottom of your taper candle fits in the wine bottle.
Step 4: Fire up that lighter! Slowly take the flame around the edge where your wine bottle meets the candle to form a seal. You may start to get some drips already during this process. This will help secure your candle so it doesn’t wobble.
Step 5: To get more drips down your candle, focus your lighter on a section of the taper candle until wax starts to pool and fall down the bottle. Keep turning your bottle and repeating this process until you get the drip effect you want.
NOTE: Don’t overdo it. You don’t want to burn too much of the wax at the bottom of your candles so there’s nothing left!
If you want MORE drippy effects, use ANOTHER candle. Light a second candle until some wax starts to pool at the top and drip onto your wine bottle. This is how you’ll get a thicker build up of wax on your wine bottles for that really spooky, eerie effect!
So, that’s how it’s done. Repeat this process as many times as needed!
For more Halloween decor DIYs and party ideas, check out these articles!
Spooky Decorating Ideas:
Now that you’ve got a few dripped wax Halloween wine bottles ready to go, how do you decorate with them? Don’t worry, I’ve got a few ideas for ya.
- Clustering them together in groups of three, perhaps styled with a vintage book, or some spooky Halloween decor is perfect for a side table set-up, like shown.
- Another option is to use these for a spooky Halloween dinner tablescape and arrange them in a line down the center of your table like these examples.
However you choose to decorate with your Halloween wine bottles, you can’t go wrong. These are the perfect affordable, yet spooky DIY decoration to help you transform your space for the Halloween season.
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